Parliament passes Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026

Parliament has passed the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, paving the way for sweeping reforms in Ghana's cocoa sector, including a legal guarantee that cocoa farmers will receive not less than 70 percent of the Free on Board (FOB) export price of cocoa.

The landmark legislation, approved on Thursday, July 30, is expected to strengthen the governance of the cocoa industry, improve farmer incomes, enhance local cocoa processing and provide a modern legal framework for regulating Ghana's cocoa value chain.

Presenting the objectives of the Bill before Parliament, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem said the legislation establishes the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) as the statutory body responsible for regulating, supervising and monitoring activities throughout the country's cocoa industry.

He explained that one of the most significant reforms under the new law is the requirement that cocoa farmers receive at least 70 percent of the FOB export price, ensuring they benefit more directly from international cocoa prices.

The Bill also mandates COCOBOD to continue supporting cocoa production, purchasing cocoa beans from farmers, managing cocoa exports and promoting value addition across the sector.

According to Mr. Ampem, the legislation introduces a new financing framework that will enable COCOBOD to mobilise funding locally to purchase cocoa beans from farmers, reducing reliance on external financing arrangements.

"This bill is coming out with a new funding model, which will let COCOBOD source funding locally to purchase our cocoa beans from our hardworking farmers. This bill is bringing out new arrangements where the beans will be available for our local processing companies. Seventy percent of the FOB price of cocoa will go to the farmers. The bill is to protect our cocoa farms and environment," he told Parliament.

The government believes the new funding structure will improve liquidity within the cocoa sector while ensuring timely purchases from farmers.

The Ghana Cocoa Board Bill also provides a comprehensive legal framework for the Producer Price Review Committee and its supporting technical committees.

This is expected to strengthen transparency and consistency in determining producer prices, giving the pricing process a firmer statutory foundation.

The legislation also formalises several regulatory functions that were previously implemented largely through administrative directives.

These include:

• Cocoa quality inspections
• Disinfestation procedures
• Service charges
• Cocoa takeover arrangements
• Certification requirements
• Compliance and enforcement mechanisms

Government says placing these activities within a legal framework will improve regulatory certainty and strengthen enforcement across the cocoa industry.

Another major provision of the Bill formally places COCOBOD under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance.

The move gives legal effect to the government's March 2025 policy decision that transferred oversight of the cocoa regulator from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to the Finance Ministry.

The legislation is expected to eliminate previous governance uncertainties that resulted from changes in ministerial supervision over the years.

The new law also seeks to boost local value addition by creating an enabling environment for greater private sector participation.

It encourages collaboration with both local and international partners, including initiatives involving:

• The European Union
• The World Cocoa Foundation
• The Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana Cocoa Initiative

In addition, the Bill introduces greater regulatory flexibility to support small-scale chocolate manufacturers and cocoa by-products producers, helping remove barriers that have limited domestic cocoa processing and innovation.

Government believes these reforms will encourage investment, create jobs, expand Ghana's cocoa processing capacity and increase the country's earnings from value-added cocoa products.

The passage of the Ghana Cocoa Board Bill, 2026, represents one of the most significant legislative reforms in the cocoa sector in recent years.

By guaranteeing farmers a minimum share of export earnings, strengthening COCOBOD's regulatory powers, improving governance and promoting local value addition, the legislation is expected to enhance the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Ghana's cocoa industry while improving livelihoods for thousands of cocoa farmers across the country.